Adoption of Bill 96 : Kahnawake severs ties with Quebec

Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer has announced that the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) has put its political relations with the government of Quebec on hold following the adoption of reforms to the Charter of the French Language on May 24th.

Translation Amanda Bennett

Bill 96 was passed by the National Assembly with 79 votes for and 29 against. It will have impacts on the Indigenous community’s access to government services such as health care, education and the judicial system, the Band Council said.

While dissatisfied by the result, the MCK said it isn’t surprised by the Coalition Avenir Quebec’s actions.

“Quebec has, once again, made decisions that are willfully misinformed and ignorant, and of which failed to appropriately consult or meaningfully consider the countless efforts brought forth by Indigenous Peoples to have their concerns heard,” wrote the MCK in a press release.

At the National Assembly, the Minister responsible for the French Language, Simon Jolin-Barrette, stated that the Act will not impact Indigenous nations.  

Jolin-Barrette also said that “everything was done in full respect of the relationship that we have with Indigenous nations.”

According the Band Council’s legal department, the minister’s words are different from what is written in the Act, as indicated by Chief Michael Delisle. “The minister may say ‘don’t worry, you’re misinterpreting, you’re reading it wrong’, but whether it’s English or French, there is only one way to read it at this point.”

Impact on Health Care

Lisa Westaway, Executive Director for the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre in Kahnawake, indicated that Bill 96 would have repercussions on access to health-care services for members of her community who receive care both within and outside of the reserve.

Kahnawake has a community hospital which offers services that are similar to that of a CLSC. Its clientele can consult a general practitioner and pediatric services, among others. It has 15 inpatient beds, but no emergency room. There is also a long-term care centre for seniors that has 58 beds.

In order to access other services, community members must frequent other hospital centres in Montérégie. Several patients already have difficulties with access to health-care services in English, Westaway stated.

“When you look at the situation with Joyce Echaquan a year and a half ago, for example, those kinds of events cause fear,” she explained. “So, if you think that you’re going to show up at an emergency room, and you will not be able to express yourself or receive information in a language that you understand, then you are less likely to seek out medical care.”

Bill 96 will also have impacts on hiring professionals and managers to work in Kahnawake, she continued. French requirements will be established to access professional orders, resulting in fewer Kahnawake graduates, as their first language is English. Furthermore, fewer professionals who speak English reduces the hiring pool for the community.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake is currently evaluating the legal and political options for contesting the Act, explained Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer.